


Practice

by raptormoon



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Food, Gen, Humor, Pre-Movie, Singing, Threats, moanaholidayexchange17, pre-leg, shinies - Freeform, warmups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 09:04:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12908703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raptormoon/pseuds/raptormoon
Summary: Tamatoa is already a pretty good singer, but Maui brings it to his attention that he needs more practice.





	Practice

**Author's Note:**

> This is my response submission for the Moana Fandom Holiday Exchange 2017!
> 
> Prompt given, "Either Tamatoa practicing his singing or a younger Maui and Tamatoa sharing food together." As requested by sugarkillsall at tumblr!

“Mmmmmany many many many ming ming ming ming whatapity whatapity what what what what zoom zoom zoom zoom zaah _ah!”_

Tamatoa stopped. Cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and began again.

 _“Mmmmmany many many many ming ming ming ming whatapity whatapity what what what what zoom zoom zoom zoom zaah_ AH _!”_

His voice wasn’t particularly deep, but even so hitting some of these higher registers was much harder than it seemed. His voice echoed throughout his lair, bouncing around and back to him. He listened intently to the returning sounds before beginning again, even higher, all four legs tapping in time to the rhythm.

“MANY MANY MANY MANY MING MING MING MING WHATAPITY WHATAPITY WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZAAH - augh!”

Well, yelping wasn’t the best way to hit that high note, but it did do the trick.

Angrily, Tamatoa spun around, clicking his pincers together as he threw his heaviest gaze to bear down upon Maui. Maui, who had snuck up behind him while Tamatoa was busy practicing. Maui, who had dropped something heavy with the resounding thud that had startled Tamatoa so badly. Maui, who was now doubled over pointing and laughing.

“Scram, you miscreant,” Tamatoa growled at his so-called friend. “Before we find out how high _your_ voice can go.” His eyes wobbled upon their stalks as fury flashed through them, his entire face leaning forward menacingly, ever closer to the shaking demigod, willing him to bend his knees in deference and fear.

Instead, Maui only fell over into the dirt beneath him, cheek smearing into the dirt, still laughing his head off. That wasn’t what he’d had in mind. Tamatoa narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, using his height advantage to loom over the demigod.

“That wasn’t an idle threat, you know,” he purred, quietly congratulating himself at how well he could pull off such a low, rumbling tone even as he calculated how best to end the _very annoying_ nuisance creating such a raucous cacophony here in his best-acoustics-anywhere den.

Maui was making an effort to calm down and speak, but every time he managed to look Tamatoa in the eye he broke down laughing again. Tears were streaming down from his eyes, even. The demigod wasn’t _pointing_ at him anymore, at least, but the continued interruption on his rehearsal was grating on Tamatoa’s nerves. Anger bubbled up within him, slick and red and bubbling effervescently. He opened his mouth to say something nasty and snide, but right as Maui wheezed on an inhale, all at once a little prick of doubt burst the bubble and Tamatoa faltered.

“Was-... was it bad?” he asked, and pulled his pincers in defensively, eyes opening wide. Maybe he’d messed up and hadn’t realized. Maybe he shouldn’t have stretched his voice that far, played it safe and stuck to the lower registers. Maybe he actually _sounded bad!_

“No-! No,” Maui managed to wheeze out. He silently held up a finger, breathing deeply and pointedly _not_ looking at Tamatoa. Breath in, breath out, and Tamatoa watched the demigod’s chest expand and contract - Maui would have a fine singing voice with a barrel chest like that, if he ever thought to try.

“Your singing is fine,” Maui continued, still not looking at him. “But every time-” his voice cracked “- that you went up? Your eyes, they did this wiggle thing, and-!” And once again Maui descended into chortles, covering his mouth with one hand and waving the other exaggeratedly.

His eyes… did a wiggle thing? Beyond their usual awesome wobble? Tamatoa spun again to find a polished golden mirror, hauling it out from among his other treasure and setting it up against a wall. Then he studied himself. His eyes looked fine to him from here, poking this way and that to take in his handsome visage from several different angles. He hummed, watching himself, and slowly began to slide up a series of notes. His eyes were fine, what was Maui even talking about, what could he pos-

There.

Tamatoa gasped, jaw falling slack and eyes widening, as he saw those same eyes upon their stalks do, indeed, an odd sort of wiggle that was not at _all_ like their usual awesome wobble. It was silly. It was borderline ridiculous. It was poor showmanship.

It hit him, right then. He had been practicing _singing_ , and had gotten quite good at it. But the rest of him? The part that would be _seen_ and _envied_ by everything around? That needed work. He was more than a vocal performance; Tamatoa was a one-crab lightshow. He couldn’t have his eyes _wiggling around!_

Certainty seized him. He had to perfect his _art._ He had to figure out why he was doing that and _stop._ And while he was at it, he’d better check out his entire body. Maybe even work out some choreography. He looked around, noting the locations of more reflective surfaces. Then he zeroed in on the prone demigod. “If you’re gonna stay,” he said, and reached out to tug Maui upright by one arm, “then you’re gonna help.”

“Wait, what?” Finally done laughing now? Good.

Tamatoa kept one eye looking at Maui while the other assessed the best places to set the mirrors. “I need critique, obviously. You’re going to tell me what I’m doing right and what needs to be improved.” He released Maui then and turned back to his piles of treasure, beginning to pull out the most reflective pieces he could find and setting them up at all angles to catch every side of himself.

“You mean what you’re doing wrong?” Maui asked, and Tamatoa did not miss the pointed tone of voice.

He stopped, and gave Maui his full attention then, a pointed stare making sure the demigod didn’t miss his point. “I never do anything wrong.”

“Uh huh.”

Irritated, Tamatoa quirked his eyes inquiringly at Maui. “So you’re not gonna help? Then leave. You’re throwing me off my groove.”

Maui snorted at that, but gamely stepped up and helped arrange the many large, gilt mirrors and those things that were similarly reflective. He still chortled occasionally, but Tamatoa let it slide since Maui was _actually_ being helpful now. For once.

Between them it took very little time to build a ring of mirrors with which Tamatoa was satisfied. While Maui leaned against the wall of his new den, Tamatoa placed himself into the center, watching as light reflected against the treasures on his shell, to the mirrors around him, then into millions of small sparkling beams decorating the walls and ceiling beyond. It was beautiful, he thought. Just like me.

Then, he began to sing.

_“Am I the real thing? Am I your fantasy?”_

“What are you singing?” Maui asked. Tamatoa ignored him.

_“Covered in mad bling, can’t escape my reality.”_

“Tama, you’re not actually-”

 _“Open your eyes, look up to the skies and and see-_ ugh, they did it again!”

His eyes had wiggled on that last note. He could hear Maui trying to stifle his laughter, but once again ignored him in favor of repeating that note and trying to keep his eyes from wiggling. Wobble, don’t wiggle. Wobble, don’t wiggle!

A few tries later, he thought he had a handle on it, so he continued.

_“Gramma, just ate a man.”_

“You’d better be kidding.”

_“Put my teeth against his head, then the next thing he was dead.”_

“Tamatoa, I swear, if I find out-” Maui sounded stern, but Tamatoa smoothly ignored him in favor of continuing his song.

_“Gramma! He had just come in!_

_“But Maui laughed and threw it all away!”_

“Oh, ha ha. Good one, Crabcake.” Maui did not sound amused. Tamatoa swivelled one eye to wink at him, then kept singing.

_“Gramma! Ooo-oo-oo-oo! Oh I knew I’d make you proud!_

_“‘He’s a nuisance and a threat,’ that’s what you said.”_

“She doesn’t really think that, does she?”

 _“Carry on!”_ Yes, nailed it! _“Carry on, because Maui doesn’t matter_

_“To me.”_

“Ouch,” Maui called out, deadpan and clapping slowly. “That’s cold, man.”

Tamatoa, grinning smugly, swept into a low bow despite Maui’s words. “It’s just a song, Maui. Get over yourself.”

“Yep, I’ll get right on that.” Still, he stepped closer, reaching up to tap the bottom edge of the crab’s shell, and Tamatoa could see a small smile tugging at the demigod’s own lips. “I didn’t realize your Gramma hated me so much.”

Tamatoa hummed thoughtfully. “Well, to be fair, she doesn’t think much of me either. Crazy old crab.”

Maui laughed. “Well at least we’re in good company. Hungry?”

Tamatoa gave him a sideways glance. “Is the ocean wet?”

“And deep,” Maui agreed. He motioned back towards the den entrance, and for the first time Tamatoa noticed the large boar lying dead on the ground. Maui must have brought it in and dropped it, creating the thump that had startled Tamatoa earlier. Funny, he hadn’t even noticed it then.

Tamatoa brightened. “You brought me lunch? Maui, dearest, I take it back. You mean everything to me!”

Maui snorted. “I brought _us_ lunch. No hogging the hog, or I’ll never feed you again.”

Tamatoa snorted delicately, then stepped lightly over the demigod to cross to the entrance and retrieve the pig. “Is that so? I doubt your sincerity, Maui. You know you love me.”

When he looked back at his friend, Maui was shaking his head but a smile was spread across his face. “You sure are something else, Tamatoa,” he said, a different kind of laughter in his voice.

The crab grinned. “I know; thank you.” He held up the boar. “So, which leg should I tear off for you?”

 


End file.
